


Forgiveness

by LongLivetheTribbles



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 15:46:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3331067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LongLivetheTribbles/pseuds/LongLivetheTribbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archie and Maxie attempt to put what they did behind them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forgiveness

Kyogre’s high-pitched cry rung out in the distance as the wind continued to pick up. The rain fell harshly and unforgiving, torrential and pelting as the sky darkened still. The waves crashed violently upon the receding shores, water levels rising rapidly.

  
Several figures stood outside the Cave of Origin, working together to try and find a solution. The calamity that was Kyogre’s monsoon was unfolding at an alarming rate with no end in sight, and hope was diminishing rapidly.

  
The man in clue unleashed a raw cry of terror and fell to his knees sobbing. He wanted with all his being to believe that the storm wasn’t his fault, that he couldn’t possibly have predicted chaos on such a widespread scale. Now, in the midst of the storm, it seemed all too clear; what else could have resulted from awakening a legendary pokemon? Now the balance of nature was upset and all life as they knew it was in grave danger. How many were already injured, or worse? How many were stranded and trapped? He knew nothing save that the fault for these consequences was entirely his to bear. His plans were on track to succeed in the most horrific manner possible, and he was powerless to stop it. This was neither the world he’d envisioned, nor how he’d wanted to obtain it.

  
The ground beneath the man began to quake violently, only to crumble and break away, swept into the frigid sea along with him. A strong riptide caught him, affording him time for one final despaired cry as the sea claimed him.

  
Archie awoke with a start, in what was partially a cold sweat and partially what appeared to have been water poured on him. The empty glass that Shelly, who was standing in front of his desk, was holding seemed to confirm that hypothesis.

 

Shelly spoke softly, as if trying to soothe Archie. “Sorry to resort to pouring water on you. I tried to shake you awake, but it didn’t work this time…”

 

Exhausted, he blinked and rubbed his eyes. “You did what you had to do. Thanks.”

  
Shelly’s eyes filled with tears. It had been months since the encounter with Kyogre, but Archie still seemed as though he hadn’t recovered at all. He tried his best to hide it from the grunts, but Shelly and Matt knew better. It was not alt all uncommon that one of the two would wake him up from a nightmare. Equally common were instances when they’d notice that Archie seemed to be having a flashback, and try to help him come out of it.

  
Archie pretended not to notice Shelly’s tear-filled eyes. On top of his guilt over nearly killing the planet and everything on it, he felt especially bad about making his Admins worry about him so much. Particularly because even as observant as they were, they still did not know everything he was struggling with.

  
Matt and Shelly knew about the nightmares. To an extent, they knew about the flashbacks. They didn’t know just how much he blamed himself fro what happened. They didn’t know the sheer force of guilt that weighed upon him. They didn’t know how many nights he cried himself to sleep, or how many nights he got no sleep. They didn’t know how much willpower it took day-by-day to keep himself from leaving the hideout and drowning himself in the sea.

No, Matt and Shelly didn’t know everything.

  
Archie’s line of thought was interrupted by a grunt stepping timidly into his room.

  
"Sir… Maxie is here. He wants to see you. Should I let him in?"

  
Archie was silent for a long moment, enough to make Shelly and the already uncomfortable grunt feel awkward. She didn’t say that anyone was with Maxie, so it was highly unlikely that he wanted trouble.

Not that he particularly had to worry about that anymore.

  
If there was anyone who might understand a glimmer of his pain, he figured it would be Maxie.

  
"Let’im in. Matter of fact, lead him here… He might not know the way."

 

The grunt simply nodded and ran off.

  
Archie hadn’t seen Maxie since the incident months ago, and couldn’t possibly imagine what he might want. Probably, he figured, to mock the failure of his plans.

  
Not a full minute later, the girl came back, stepping aside so Maxie could enter. As soon as the redhead was in the room, he locked his gaze with Archie. The intensity with which they silently regarded one another was enough that Shelly thought it appropriate to excuse herself, dragging the intrigued grunt away by the wrist.

  
Right away, Archie noticed that Maxie looked just as bad as he did; there was distinct darkness under his eyes that he didn’t even bother to conceal, his hair (while clean) was not as neatly groomed as usual, and his uniform was somewhat disheveled. In all, he bore little resemblance to the proudly defiant man who once referred to himself as “The Great Maxie”.

  
Maxie stood in front of Archie’s desk, glancing at the surrounding area. “I see you could not be bothered to neaten up for guests?”

  
Archie smirked, knowing what Maxie really meant. “You couldn’t be bothered to straighten yourself up before coming over?”

  
A small hint of a smile tugged at Maxie’s typical stoic expression. “Fair enough.”

  
Archie’s smile faded just as quickly as it appeared, very much to Maxie’s alarm.

Even more alarming was that Archie put a hand over his face and began to cry softly.

  
"Max, I… I almost killed every living thing on this planet. What I did could have cost everything. I didn’t realized the flaws in my plans until it was too late. Maxie, there’s no redemption for what I’ve done. Our teams are disbanded, and we’re trying to work together to right the wrongs. I just can’t help thinking… What if it’s too little, too late?"

  
Maxie put a hand on Archie’s desk, which they both knew he was subconsciously attempting to stabilize himself.

  
"Your argument has some merit," Maxie began,"but your argument also contains several flaws."

  
Archie became eerily silent.

  
"Objectively speaking, much of what you have said is true. Your plan did place the world in dire peril. You did not recognize the possible consequences before it appeared to be too late."

  
Archie spoke softly and sullenly. “What isn’t true?”

  
"While it is certainly true that there are those who will never bestow forgiveness unto you, to say that you are beyond all redemption is utterly erroneous. Would Shelly and Matt still swear loyalty to you unless you had their forgiveness? Would your subordinates? What about May and Brendan? Surely they would not battle alongside you at the Battle Maison unless they forgave you, as well."

  
Archie looked up at Maxie, his face tear-stained, and still a little unconvinced. Maxie leaned in slightly and spoke slowly.

  
"Archie… It is also imperative that you know I forgive you as well. In the interest of full disclosure… I commend you.”

  
Archie blinked in surprise, his eyes widening. Maxie continued.

  
"You have shown true remorse for your actions. You are willing to make things right and are putting forth effort to do so. Despite you fears that it might be, in your own words, ‘too little, too late’, you are still working to do whatever you are able to do in order to help. That is honorable and commendable, worthy of respect."

  
Archie looked almost stunned. To hear Maxie say such things with genuine sincerity in his voice was incredible in ways that Archie could not describe. Hearing that he had the forgiveness of his old nemesis-his old friend- set him at ease.

It was an ease that he had not felt in a long time.

  
Archie stood up and walked over to an inconspicuous section of wall near his bed. He tapped twice firmly on a specific spot, and a small door swung open. It appeared to Maxie to be a sort of wall safe. Archie took out the blue orb that had caused such trouble. Even now, it gently pulsed with blue light. He walked back over to Maxie.

  
"We’ll never be able to forget what we’ve done or what happened, but we can at least put it behind us, in a way." He held up the orb. "Maxie, you know what we have to do. Will you come with me to Mount Pyre?"

  
Maxie reached into the pocket of his coat and took out the red orb, which pulsed with red light. “For once, I am in agreement. I shall accompany you.”

  
Archie smiled at his redheaded friend and started to walk out, Maxie following behind. As they navigated the corridors, Archie called out to Shelly and Matt that he’d be back soon.

  
Matt and Shelly smiled at one another, knowing what they were going to do. And, they could both swear, Archie seemed to have some life in his voice again.

  
Archie and Maxie walked out of the hideout. Archie looked out at the sea, the waves of which now crashed gently upon the shores. The sea in which he once considered ending his life was now a thing upon which he once more looked with awe and wonder.

  
Maxie showed something of a smile, sensing Archie’s enthrallment in the glistening water. “Under these conditions… The sea does possess something resembling beauty. Once we return what we stole… I shall watch it with you.”

  
Archie looked at Maxie, his eyes shining and bright. “Sounds good.”

  
With that, they set off for Mount Pyre.

  
Not terribly long afterwards, the two stood near the summit, where the altar from which they stole the orbs stood. An air of apprehension hung over them, and they prepared to be received coldly.

  
The exact opposite happened.

  
The altar’s watchers, seeing that Archie and Maxie wished to return the orbs, welcomed them kindly, which left the two dumbstruck. The found it unbelievable that they were being shown that much hospitality from the people who watched over the sacred altar from which they’d stolen.  
They explained their plans in exact detail, giving their reasons for the theft. Then, they apologized for both their actions and consequences of those actions.

They were quickly forgiven by the watchers.

  
With their apologies accepted, Archie and Maxie approached the altar they desecrated. As they set the orbs back in their rightful places, the light that once emanated in pulses radiated more strongly, halos of color overlapping, creating a stunning purple between the artifacts.

  
Archie smiled once more, looking at Maxie. “Well… It’s done. Behind us now.”

  
Maxie smiled back. “Indeed. ALong with our mutual hatred. Perhaps we can work together once more.”

  
Archie smirked. “In your own words… ‘for once, I’m in agreement.’”

  
Moving forward into a new future, the two left Mount Pyre hand-in-hand.


End file.
